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#Post#: 80989--------------------------------------------------
Sandy Park East Stand Expansion
DIR By: DazzaS
Date: January 1, 2022, 11:29 am
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Watchin the Exter v Bristol game in isolation (wife has isolated
me in the spare room) and can see the majority of the new East
Stand expansion opened today, pushing their capacity to over
15,500. Their lower tier is a beefed up terrace with seating in
the upper tier.
All be told once they finished expanding north and south it will
have over 20,000 capacity.
Is there any new on Quins? I always thought just expanding the
North would be sufficient but we are selling out nearly every
game so maybe that 25,000 capacity stadium they looked at taking
over the council depot would be what we need.
However, looking at other clubs - Arsenal for example, building
a whole new stadium over expansion can mean you lose a
competiive advantage in comparison to expanding for a few years,
not to mention the millstone of debt.
The previous CEO said that architects have said on our current
site we can get a maximum 20,000 at the Stoop. Surely that would
be sufficient and any games for bigger capacity such as
chanpions cup semi finals, we could just use Big Stoop.
What are your thoughts?
#Post#: 80998--------------------------------------------------
Re: Sandy Park East Stand Expansion
DIR By: Bolly-Quin
Date: January 1, 2022, 1:39 pm
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I would have thought that 20K is probably enough - can't see us
regularly attracting 25k.
I'd have thought that the 2 seasons compromised by COIVD may
well put the plans back through lost revenue - and the future is
not at all guaranteed, but is beginning to look better...
#Post#: 80999--------------------------------------------------
Re: Sandy Park East Stand Expansion
DIR By: T-Bone
Date: January 1, 2022, 1:43 pm
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--- Quote from: DazzaS link ---
>
> Watchin the Exter v Bristol game in isolation (wife has
isolated me in the spare room) and can see the majority of the
new East Stand expansion opened today, pushing their capacity to
over 15,500. Their lower tier is a beefed up terrace with
seating in the upper tier.
>
> All be told once they finished expanding north and south it
will have over 20,000 capacity.
>
> Is there any new on Quins? I always thought just expanding the
North would be sufficient but we are selling out nearly every
game so maybe that 25,000 capacity stadium they looked at taking
over the council depot would be what we need.
>
> However, looking at other clubs - Arsenal for example,
building a whole new stadium over expansion can mean you lose a
competiive advantage in comparison to expanding for a few years,
not to mention the millstone of debt.
>
> The previous CEO said that architects have said on our current
site we can get a maximum 20,000 at the Stoop. Surely that would
be sufficient and any games for bigger capacity such as
chanpions cup semi finals, we could just use Big Stoop.
>
> What are your thoughts?
>
--- End Quote ---
I only watched the last 30. If the whole game was like that then
I admire your tenacity for sticking with it. Pretty dire
#Post#: 81004--------------------------------------------------
Re: Sandy Park East Stand Expansion
DIR By: Bolly-Quin
Date: January 1, 2022, 1:50 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
--- Quote from: T-Bone link ---
>
> I only watched the last 30. If the whole game was like that
then I admire your tenacity for sticking with it. Pretty dire
>
--- End Quote ---
There were moments when the ball was being fizzed around in all
sorts of directions - mostly in a direction/to a player that
wasn't intended...
#Post#: 81005--------------------------------------------------
Re: Sandy Park East Stand Expansion
DIR By: MadMax
Date: January 1, 2022, 2:10 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
--- Quote from: T-Bone link ---
>
> I only watched the last 30. If the whole game was like that
then I admire your tenacity for sticking with it. Pretty dire
>
--- End Quote ---
You should have seen the Sale/Wasps game!
#Post#: 81007--------------------------------------------------
Re: Sandy Park East Stand Expansion
DIR By: Brown Bottle
Date: January 1, 2022, 2:39 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
--- Quote from: MadMax link ---
>
> You should have seen the Sale/Wasps game!
>
--- End Quote ---
Yeah, only saw the second half of that one but the Chiefs' game
was a lot easier to watch.
#Post#: 81016--------------------------------------------------
Re: Sandy Park East Stand Expansion
DIR By: Fearless Fred
Date: January 2, 2022, 3:30 am
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Back to the original topic, I think the issue is not just the
expansion to fit in more crowds on a matchday. For the club to
be truly profitable, they need to maximise the non-matchday
revenue. At the moment the Stoop is only really set up for
social/hospitality uses, with some small office/meeting room
possibilities.
Expanding the North stand wouldn't really alter this. It's only
over the last year when crowds have not been allowed that
they've managed to add in the much-needed facilities there. If
you think back to when the South Stand was expanded that caused
some chaos with fitting people in, and that was BEFORE we
started getting to near sell-outs regularly. Trying to do the
same now with the North Stand would be worse.
A complete new-build would allow the club to work from scratch
to build in more flexibility for non-matchday use to bring in
more revenue. One area we can certainly look to is becoming a
mid-sized music venue, following the concerts we've held before.
The stadium isn't ideal as it is now for that sort of setup, but
a new-build could have this in consideration during planning.
Anything to make it easier for the club to use their biggest
tangible asset to bring in more revenue.
#Post#: 81019--------------------------------------------------
Re: Sandy Park East Stand Expansion
DIR By: Monte
Date: January 2, 2022, 3:48 am
---------------------------------------------------------
--- Quote from: Fearless Fred link ---
>
> Back to the original topic, I think the issue is not just the
expansion to fit in more crowds on a matchday. For the club to
be truly profitable, they need to maximise the non-matchday
revenue. At the moment the Stoop is only really set up for
social/hospitality uses, with some small office/meeting room
possibilities.
>
> Expanding the North stand wouldn't really alter this. It's
only over the last year when crowds have not been allowed that
they've managed to add in the much-needed facilities there. If
you think back to when the South Stand was expanded that caused
some chaos with fitting people in, and that was BEFORE we
started getting to near sell-outs regularly. Trying to do the
same now with the North Stand would be worse.
>
> A complete new-build would allow the club to work from scratch
to build in more flexibility for non-matchday use to bring in
more revenue. One area we can certainly look to is becoming a
mid-sized music venue, following the concerts we've held before.
The stadium as in't ideal as it is now for that sort of setup,
but a new-build could have this in consideration during
planning. Anythink to make it easier for the club to use their
biggest tangible asset to bring in more revenue.
>
--- End Quote ---
Yes but Sandy Park is much used by local businesses and there is
very little competition for conference space and a hotel. Quins
problem is the small matter of Twickenham and the Marriott
Hotel. They would need a space and hotel that would appeal to a
different market probably 3/4* .
#Post#: 81023--------------------------------------------------
Re: Sandy Park East Stand Expansion
DIR By: Fearless Fred
Date: January 2, 2022, 4:38 am
---------------------------------------------------------
--- Quote from: Monte link ---
>
> Yes but Sandy Park is much used by local businesses and there
is very little competition for conference space and a hotel.
Quins problem is the small matter of Twickenham and the Marriott
Hotel. They would need a space and hotel that would appeal to a
different market probably 3/4* .
>
--- End Quote ---
That's why a new-build is a better mid-term strategy than
expanding the North stand or filling in the corners. It allows
for some decent planning on what niches the stadium can fill
that aren't already served by Twickenham & the Marriott hotel
locally & other leisure venues in the vicinity.
You could do an update of the Chris Robshaw (formerly Kings) bar
to make it into a proper small music club level venue. There's
plenty of small bands who are itching to get back out on the
road that you could make into a regular Thursday night music
club. In terms of larger artists/bands, a 20k/25k venue with
proper facilities ready to go would be very attractive. Build
one of the sort sides so that it can properly house dressing
room/backstage needs. The space can couple up as rentable office
space during the week & hospitality suites for match days.
While keeping a grass pitch, build in systems to properly allow
other sports/activities to take place on there. Having a
"pre-built" artificial surface that can be put in over the Rugby
pitch in a matter of a couple of hours would mean that that
space is suddenly a lot more flexible. You could even have
semi-regular farmers market type sessions on ti if they plan it
properly! (I know this would sort of work now, but we haven't
got the "pre-built" artificial surfaces at the moment).
#Post#: 81025--------------------------------------------------
Re: Sandy Park East Stand Expansion
DIR By: QuinsMighty
Date: January 2, 2022, 5:05 am
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If we get to that point, we are obviously very lucky to have
Twickenham Stadium next door if we were to play there regularly
for 2 years or so whilst works are done with the stadium
(assuming a whole new stadium as opposed to individual stands)
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